NEWS - Treatment for type 2 diabetes updated

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Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Updated

Lifestyle changes, the drug metformin remain recommended initial therapy

Posted October 22, 2008

HealthDay News

A stepped-up care approach is outlined in updated treatment

recommendations for type 2 diabetes released Wednesday by the American

Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of

Diabetes.

Lifestyle changes and the drug metformin remain the recommended

initial treatment to help people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

control levels of blood glucose and A1C, a measure of average glucose

levels during the previous two to three months, according to the panel

of experts who wrote the updated guidelines.

If this fails to help patients achieve target glucose/A1C levels,

there are two treatment choices. One -- which is preferred and

well-validated -- involves the addition of basal insulin or a

sulfonylurea to lifestyle changes and metformin. The second choice

involves the addition of the drug pioglitazone or a GLP-1 agonist to

lifestyle changes and metformin.

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-2-diabetes-updated.html

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